Coupler support



July 17, 1956 J. M MULLEN COUPLER SUPPORT Filed Dec. 4, 1951 INVENTOR-JOHN M MULLEN w I m Ill/Ill, A d/m/Mflm *ATTYW United States PatentOCOUPLER SUPPORT John McMullen, Bufialo, N. Y., assignor of one-thirdeach to John F. McMullen, Cleveland Heights, and Vincent J. McMullen,Youngstown, Ohio Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,800

8 Claims. (Cl. 2136l) This invention relates to couplers and is directedmore particularly to means for insuring adequate area of engagementbetween couplers of railway cars so as to prevent coupler disengagementupon impact to .such cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide means which shall causecouplers to lie in a horizontal position when initially assembled withcoupler yokes so as to substantially minimize wear in the couplers andthe parts associated therewith.

A further object is to provide means capable of compensating for thewear occurring in couplers and the parts associated therewith.

A further object is to provide means which shall prevent droop ofcouplers when initially installed and which shall be capable ofcompensating for any droop in the couplers which may occur in service.

A further object is to provide means of the character indicated whichshall be simple in construction, inexpensive, and which shall be capableof compensating for droop or sag in couplers without having to removethe couplers from their cars.

A further object is to eliminate the expense now incurred in correctingthe droop or sag in car couplers.

Other objects of this invention will become clear as the descriptionthereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a coupler and associated parts embodying theinstant invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the droop in the presentcouplers when first installed.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of my inventionis illustrated, the reference numeral designates a yoke of the wellknown construction commonly used on railway cars. Accordingly, the yoke10 comprises the side walls 11 and 12, the top and bottom walls 13 and14 which extend between the side walls, and a rear wall (not shown)which extends between the top and bottom walls. The side walls 11 and 12terminate short of the end wall so as to provide openings such as 15between the top and bottom walls. The top and bottom walls 13 and 14slope downwardly and upwardly, respectively, adjacent to the outerrounded end portions 16 and 17 of the side walls as indicated at 18 and19. These sloping portions of the top and bottom walls terminate shortof the rounded outer end portions of the side walls as shown at 20 and21. v

Horizontally disposed elongated openings 22 and 23 are provided in theside walls. A key 24 narrower than the openings 22 and 23 and of lessthickness than thedepth of said openings 22 and 23 extends through theseopenings and through an opening 25, of substantially the same width asthe key 24, in the shank 26 of a coupler 27. The head of the coupler isdesignated by the reference numeral 28. The key 24 serves to retain thecoupler in slidable relationship in the yoke.

A carrier iron 29 which may be part of the striking casting 3t and liesadjacent to the outer ends of the side walls 11 and 12 serves to supportthe coupler 27 which overhangs the carrier iron by a substantial amount.Wear plates such as 31 are customarily interposed between the carrieriron and the shank of the coupler. By virtue of my invention a surfacebearing of substantial area is obtained between the shank of the couplerand the wear plate so that wear between these parts and between thewalls of the openings 22 and 23 and the key 24 is greatly reduced.

To this end and also to compensate for such wear that occurs without thenecessity of removing the coupler from the yoke I utilize a wedge-shapedpad 32 which is disposed between the top of the shank 26 at the innerend thereof and the underside of the sloping portion 18 of the top wall13. When the pad 32 is formed'as a separate member it is placed as notedthrough either of the openings in the side walls 11 and 12. The pad may,however, be cast integral with the yoke, if desired, in which event thefeature of my invention of compensation for wear is sacrificed.

To obtain such compensation I provide the sloping portion 18 of theupper wall with an elongated slot 33 through which the pad 32 isaccessible. A bolt 34 is utilized to impart movement to the pad whenwear occurs so as to compensate for such wear and restore the largebearing area between the pad and the shank of the coupler and betweenthe wear plate 31 and the shank. The bolt 34 has a portion 35 whichextends downwardly through the slot 33 and into a hole 36 formed in thepad 32. Above the yoke the bolt is bent laterally as indicated at 37 andthen outwardly as shown at 38 along one of the end portions 16 and 17 ofthe side walls 11 and 12. A sleeve 33 is secured as by means of weldingto this end portion and the bolt extends through the sleeve. The end ofthe bolt projects through the sleeve and is threaded so as to receive anut 40 by the rotation of which the pad may be moved for the purpose setforth. The nut 40 is retained in position by a lock nut 41.

By locating the outwardly extending portion 38 of the bolt 34 along aside wall of the yoke it is made to lie in laterally offset relationshipto the shank of the coupler so that the bolt may be reached to impartmovement to the pad without removing the coupler from the yoke.

The important accomplishment of my invention is best understood by acomparison of Fig. 2, which shows my invention, with Fig. 4, which showsthe condition now prevailing with couplers for railway cars. Fig. 4shows the relationship between the coupler and wear plate and therelationship between the coupler key and the walls of the slots in theside walls of the yoke when the coupler is newly assembled with theyoke. The normal droop or sag of the coupler is clearly shown in thisfigure. The shank of the coupler has only a line bearing upon the wearplate. And one pair of diagonally opposite corners of the coupler key isbrought into bearing engagement with the walls of the slots in the sidewalls by the large overhanging weight of the coupler.

As the coupler slides relative to the yoke substantial wear occurs inthe wear plate and coupler shank and in the coupler key and yoke. Thisis brought about by the large overhanging weight of approximately 400pounds of the coupler shank and head beyond the wear plate. Such wearincreases the droop of the coupler. This brings about a seriou reductionin the bearing area between coupled couplers so that the coupling isbroken upon impact to the cars. When this occurs parts must be replacedand to do this the car must be shopped and the coupler removed.

My invention, on the other hand, remedies the above noted evils in asimple and elficacious manner. The coupler assumes an initial horizontalposition so as to establish substantial surface bearing area between thecoupler shank and the wear plate and between the shank and pad. There isno droop or sag in the coupler. Wear between parts is therefore held toa minimum. Moreover, wear on the coupler key and yoke is substantiallyeliminated. When wear does occur the horizontal position of the coupleris restored without having to shop the car or remove the coupler fromthe yoke by releasing the lock nut and tightening up on the other nut soas to im part movement to the bolt and pad in an outward direction. Thelock nut is then replaced. All this can be accomplished while thecoupler is engaged with the yoke. Any droop which may have occurred inthe coupler as a result of wear is removed.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in thedetails of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. Itis intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes becomprehended within this invention which is to be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, and a wedge-shaped pad lyingbetween and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said topwall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally.

2. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, and a wedge-shaped pad lyingbetween and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said topwall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, saidpad being movable relative to said yoke and said shank.

3. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying betweenand engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wallportion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, said padbeing movable relative to said yoke and said shank, and means on saidyoke for effecting movement of said pad.

4. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head,

said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, awedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank andthe underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning saidshank horizontally, said pad being movable relative to said yoke andsaid shank, and means on said yoke for effecting movement of said pad,said latter means embodying a bolt extending in laterally spacedrelationship to said shank.

5. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying betweenand engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wallportion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, a slotformed in said top wall portion of said yoke, a bolt having a downturnedportion extending through said slot into engagement with said pad, saidbolt having a forwardly extending threaded portion, a member on saidyoke, said latter portion of said bolt extending through said member,and a nut threaded on said bolt and engaging said member.

6. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top Wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying betweenand engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wallportion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, said padbeing movable relative to said yoke and said shank, and means on saidyoke for effecting movement of said pad, said latter means beingoperable While said coupler is assembled with said yoke.

7. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying betweenand engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wallportion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, a slotformed in said top wall portion of said yoke, a bolt having a downturnedportion extending through said slot into a hole in said pad, a laterallyextending portion and a threaded portion extending forwardly along saidyoke, sleeve secured to said yoke, said forwardly extending portion ofsaid bolt projecting through said sleeve, and a nut threaded on saidlatter portion of said bolt and engaging said sleeve.

8. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having adownwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and ahead, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shankextending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent tosaid yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engagingsaid shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying betweenand engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wallportion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, a slotformed in said top wall portion of said yoke, a bolt having a downturnedportion extending through said slot into a hole in said pad, a laterallyextending portion and a threaded portion extending forwardlly along saidyoke, a sleeve secured to said yoke, said forwardly extending portion ofsaid bolt projecting through said sleeve, and a nut threaded on saidlatter portion of said bolt and engaging said sleeve, said forwardlyextending portion of said bolt being ofiset laterally from said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MartinApr. 9, 1912 Schneider Ian. 18, 1916 OConnor Mar. 27, 1917 HaseltineSept. 18, 1917 Haseltine Dec. 3, 1918 OConnor Dec. 3, 1918 6 Wright Jan.14, 1919 Pletcher Ian. 30, 1923 Janney June 2, 1925 OConnor Dec. 19,1933 Kinne et a1. May 6, 1941 Wilson Feb. 3, 1942 Barrows et a1 Aug. 17,1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria May 10, 1933

